


Oh Ms Believer

by FrazzledDragon



Category: Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Angst, Delusions, F/M, Happy Ending, Kinda?, No major character deaths, brief descriptions of torture, fluff?, lots of mentions very little actually described, mentioned non-con restraint, mentions of non-con but nothing explicitly described, probably
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-19
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2018-12-31 11:27:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12131466
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrazzledDragon/pseuds/FrazzledDragon
Summary: Inej gets kidnapped and tortured (not explicitly described), but escapes before Kaz can either find her or make any assumptions as to where she was. She returns, dazed, confused, and terrified, so Kaz steps up to the plate to make her feel better.





	1. My Pretty Weeper

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first thing I've posted that'll seem kinda dark and I'm sorry for that. I tried to make the tags as accurate as possible, but please let me know if I forgot something important! Thanks for reading; please let me know if you liked it and I'll add the next chapter portion bit :D
> 
> Also the title of the fic came from TOP's song, which is one of my favorites.

Inej didn’t approach anyone for help, especially not since Kaz freed her and gave her a name. She would bide her time, pray to her Saints and speak to her knives until she felt what little of her soul remained piece itself back together.

She didn’t know what to do this time. She felt invisible, intangible, impalpable. Her knees were shaking, but they were carrying her back to the only home in this country. She almost stabbed an ignorant, shoving passerby with Sankta Petyr when she finally saw the Slat, clutched in a death grip in her right hand. She didn’t, thankfully, as she supposed Rotty wouldn’t be quick to forgive her if she happened to remove an internal organ.

She mindlessly walked into the Slat, not answering anyone’s concerned questions or even looking at anyone. She meandered up the many flights of stairs, every muscle in her body hurting. It had been a long time since she had felt this way, incomprehensibly lost. Her mind was a muddled soup of pain, terror, confusion, and trauma she had attempted to bury in the past two years. She almost forgot to knock when she got to his door. Somewhere in the hellish daze that was her train of thought, she tried to figure out why she was going to see him, of all people. He was the bastard of the Barrel, not exactly known for his counseling skills. She supposed it was his ability to tell the horrible truths. Maybe she subconsciously thought that a harsh truth could right the mess inside her head, as it had before.

She knocked, curiously noting her shaking fist. She could feel her knees shaking, but she hadn’t noticed her shaking hands yet. She squeezed the grip of her knife tighter, sighing in relief when she heard him growl to get out at whoever he was talking to, simultaneously inviting her inside. She gazed up and passed a very angry looking bouncer on her way inside. She side-stepped, watching him leave. Why was he so angry?

“Wraith?” His voice, like gravel and sandpaper. “Inej?” Inej just looked at him. She wasn’t sure what to say, as she was still trying to wrap her head around what happened. “Are you okay?”

Her brows furrowed as she thought about the question. “No, I don’t think so.” She suddenly felt very faint. Kaz was at her side in a second, lowering her onto the armchair. He handed her a glass of water and she sipped absent-mindedly.

“Wraith, no one’s seen you in over two days… Well, I haven’t seen you in two days, Inej. Ghezen knows the bumbling idiots I had available would have been incapable of seeing you if you punched them in the nose… Where were you?” He crouched by the chair, dark eyes watching her face carefully. His gloved hand was gently resting on her hand, prying Sankta Petyr away from her. She let him.

She looked down at her now empty hands, which were shaking badly and hot tears were dropping onto her amber skin and his black gloves and she was crying before she knew it. Kaz waited patiently, holding her hands softly, rubbing his gloved thumbs over the backs of her hands. He wished he knew where she had been, but she had been impossible to find. And he had had the entirety of the Dregs looking for her, under the pretense she owed him serious money.

She couldn’t be found, and by the looks of it, it hadn’t been her choice.

Several minutes later, Inej’s sobs slowed to a halt. She just sat, shivering and shuddering, tears dripping down her cheeks unchallenged. Her breath was shallow and quivering, “I’m sorry…” She murmured. “I don’t know why I just did that…”

“Neither do I,” Kaz replied softly, although not unkindly.

“I-I was… I was going somewhere… I don’t-I don’t remember where… And they-they grabbed me… I reached for my knives… but they weren’t there… Only Sankta Petyr was there… He was the only one… I had him… I just had him…” She began to look about frantically. “Where is he?! Where’s Sankta Petyr?! I just had-”

“Inej, you just gave him to me so I could clean and sharpen him. It’s okay… Keep telling your story. I’m listening…” Although the reason he took her knife wasn’t true, he was listening intently.

“Oh… I am very forgetful today. Well… I was… I was looking for my knives but they were all… all gone...:” Her face twisted in fear. “So-So I tried to fight… b-but there were too many and they grabbed all my limbs and I-I couldn’t escape before they knocked me out… Th-Then… The-Then…” Her shuddering grew worse by the second, tears streaking down her cheeks. “Th-They t-took my-my… my clothes… and… tied… tied me down… so… so I couldn’t move or really b-breathe… and… and… r-....ra-raped… r-raped me…. Ov-Over and over and over and over…. Th-They k-kept biting me or cutting me and licking the cuts… See?” Inej pulled at the neckline of her turtleneck, revealing oozing, bleeding, infected bite wounds. He could only see six, but he suspected there were many more. He looked to Inej in sympathetic horror. However, if you didn’t know him, it looked more like disgust. “It-It hurt… So bad… And they wouldn’t stop! I begged them to stop… I screamed for them to stop… But they wouldn’t… I-I was terrified… I am terrified… What did they want? Why me? Why didn’t they just kill me? Kaz… I don’t know what to do! It… It was worse than the Menagerie… I have those bites and cuts all… all over and they hurt and my muscles hurt and my head hurts… And-And my memory is so scattered that I can’t even think straight! I don’t remember where my knives are! I don’t remember what men did this to me, only that when they let me go, they gave me my knife back… Wait… No… One… One was going to… going to cut me…” Her face twisted to horror. “I-I stole my knife back and killed him… Then I ran until I couldn’t… and came here… My only… My only thoughts were to find Kaz…”

“Inej, I know you’re very tired and very scared, but I need you to tell me where their base was, okay?”

“D-Don’t worry, Kaz. They’re all dead… I killed them…”

“All of them?” Kaz was incredulous.

“There was the man on top of me… Then the man by the door… The man who was watching… The man who had lots of tattoos and wouldn’t use any ‘bad words’. The man who used to run that bakery in the West Stave… The twins and the two brothers… Those four ganged up a lot… There was a woman… I killed her too... I think that’s all of them. They’re all dead… I need to do penance. W-Will you pray with me?” She asked him with the irresistible innocence of a child. If she had asked for all of his money… Well, he would have at least seriously considered it.

“Inej, first, you need to rest. I’ll find Nina to help heal your wounds, but you need rest and food. Then, once you’re rested and healed, I’ll pray with you, if that’s what you want.” He went to the door and spoke to the first Dregs member he found, not leaving the sight of Inej. He sent them to fetch Nina, promising two thousand kruge if they could keep their mouth shut and be quick. Then he went back to stand near Inej.

“K-Kaz, I can’t sleep… Every time I tried to sleep, they’d only rape me again… I-I can’t…” She shook her head vigorously at the thought.

“Inej, I can fit all that I hold dear in the bags under your eyes. Seeing as that is quite a lot of kruge, you need rest. That, and that’s probably why your head hurts. I know, if I don’t get enough sleep, I get headaches.”

“Kaz, I can’t… I want to… But I can’t... You… You don’t understand…” Her tone showcased not only her fear of sleep, but her sudden doubt of his loyalty.

“Inej.” His voice was too sharp, and she cowered a little from it. He was startled to find he needed to treat her more gently if he wanted her to do as he asked. His typical rough persona was too similar to her kidnappers. “Hey, it’s okay… I won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do, okay? I’m on your side. I want to help. Do you think we can try a compromise?” Kaz’s gravelly voice was instead soothing, sounding more like the soft crackle of a fire than the snap of a neck breaking. Deals were the language he knew best, and he certainly knew how to sell a deal.

Inej shivered and nodded.

“My bed is right over there. It’s very warm and comfortable. I just want you to lie down. You don’t have to sleep. I’ll protect you until you feel a little better. I’ll sharpen and clean Sankta Petyr where you can see me. I won’t leave until you are rested. Even if it’s just until four bells, okay? I promise I won’t let anyone of ill-intent come anywhere near you. You have my word, I’ll be right there. Then we can see about food, okay?”

Inej nodded slowly. “I-I don’t have to sleep?”

“Not if you don’t want to, no. It’ll all be okay.”

“You’ll stay close?” Inej was walking over to the bed, leaning on Kaz as he walked alongside her.

“As close as you want me to.” She sat down on the bed, curling into a ball on her side. One hand still gripped Kaz’s.

“C-Can you sit on the bed, beside me? Th-Then I know it-it’s you and-and not th-them.”

“Of course, Inej. Do you still want me to sharpen and clean Sankta Petyr? It can wait for later, if you want.”

“No-No! Please. The sound will make me feel safe.”

“Okay, Inej. Okay,” he calmed her gently. He grabbed the knife and his sharpening stone, noting Inej’s tired eyes watching him. He slowly started sharpening the knife, the rasping sounding seeming to comfort her. Her knife was razor sharp by the time she slipped into slumber. Kaz still didn’t move, beginning to rub a cloth over the blade, cleaning it slowly.

He had given her this knife, long ago. He was touched that she had kept it so long. He had expected she would get another knife, perhaps a longer or wider blade. But she had kept it. The was a knock at the door, and he looked fearfully to Inej, but for now she was sleeping peacefully. He didn’t get up, only softly called from the bed. “Come in… quietly, please.”

Nina came in. Kaz sighed in relief. She took one look at Kaz and Inej and grinned.

“It’s not what you think,” Kaz assured. “She… She needs your help as a healer… And as another girl, I think.” He suddenly felt very uncomfortable, and his gaze fell back to Inej.

Just then, it was as though a nightmare seized her. She started screaming, writhing on the bed, tears streaming from her closed eyes. He was holding her before Nina could blink. He let her grip him, cling to him and cry into him. Her screaming stopped as she cried into him and he stroked her hair and hushed her gently. He hummed what few Ravkan songs he knew, feeling her relax back into undisturbed sleep. Kaz looked to Nina and slowly moved Inej back onto the bed and off of his lap. “Please, Nina. Can you help her?”

Nina looked at the two most confusing people she knew in shock. “Yeah… I mean, I can… I can try.” She held up her hands, undetectably scanning her, counteracting the infections and healing the open wounds. Inej sighed softly, shifting. “Why- Are those bite marks? Please tell me you did not give her hickeys.”

Kaz nodded slowly through the first part, then shook his head violently. “I didn’t give her hickeys. Inej would have told you.” He rubbed her arm gently, his gloved touch seeming to calm her even in his sleep. “She… she was taken. Beyond that is not for me to tell.”

“And she went to you for comfort?” Nina raised a skeptical eyebrow, not sure she understood exactly what she was seeing. Was Kaz gently and kindly helping Inej? Maybe she had been slipped something.

Kaz looked a little sheepish as again his gaze drifted back to the sleeping, shivering girl. He pulled his softest blanket over her and finally responded. “To be honest, I’m not completely sure I understand her thought process either. Trauma does weird things. She said it was the only thing on her mind.”

Nina blinked. “Kaz, don’t screw this up. You… You seriously are leaving an impression. She cares, I’m sure you’ve noticed. She cares a lot, and she cares a lot about what you think. She’ll remember this, even when she gets her feet back underneath her, even if her brain completely eliminates the trauma from her memory, she’ll remember you. So, please… keep doing what you’re doing? Because it’s working? Good job? Saints, I never thought I would say that. I’ve definitely consumed something detrimental to my thinking process. Saints…”

Nina double checked that Inej was as healed as a Heartrender could render her and left. Kaz sat next to Inej, whispering to her and humming as needed and calming her violent outbursts. It was hours before Inej finally awoke, and Kaz had food ready for her when she did.

“Morning, Wraith,” he rasped with a small smile, glancing at his watch. It was almost eight bells. He had been sitting there for… six bells? He had almost lost count. However, it didn’t feel like a single second had passed.


	2. Cater Your Fears

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inej's road to recovery begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the support of the last chapter! This one might be a little shorter, so I apologize for that. I hope you enjoy! I'd seriously appreciate any constructive criticism you have to offer, but I'll try to respond to any comments left. Thanks again!

“Y-You’re still here?”

“You asked me to stay.”

“H-Have you moved from the bed?” Her eyes looked more inquisitive, more Inej, than they had when she had arrived. They had appeared glassy, almost clouded over. Her posture, too, was more familiar too.

Kaz thought for a second. Even to order food, he hadn’t left the bed. Simply whisper-yelled from her side. “No. You asked me to stay with you, so I did.” He felt oddly mundane at the thought. But he thought again of her breaking voice and decided their entire relationship was anything but mundane.

“And you sharpened and cleaned Sankta Petyr?” That felt like a lifetime ago, but Kaz nodded. “Thank you, Kaz.”

“You’re more than welcome. Ghezen knows that you’ve more than earned it.”

“You don’t believe in earning. You believe in taking what is yours and more if you can manage it. Why are you lying?” Her voice still sounded innocent, but there was an edge that reminded him of her, before this happened.

“You are the exception to most of my policies, Wraith.”

That wasn’t a lie. Inej could see it in his eyes. She knew she was the only person alive today who had slept in his room with him and hadn’t ended up dead in an alleyway the next morning. Kaz felt the silence grow awkward. He cursed himself; how had he expected her to answer that? Whether or not it was the truth meant nothing if she felt awkward. “Is there anything you need?” he asked, softly. Carefully, he stripped his gloves and picked up the plates. He didn’t need her to answer to know she wanted food and drink.

Inej had seen many sides of Kaz, but this was new. Was he trying to be gentle? And… kind? She knew this side was not the monster, but the man-child underneath. And she knew she loved him just as much, if not more than the monster.

In her fear, sleep-deprived daze, she had little coherent memory of how she had gotten here, only her heart guiding her to Kaz. _The heart demands aim to land true._ In her time of the strongest fear and greatest uncertainty, Kaz had been her rock. Even when her doubt had succumbed her, he kept her with him.

She took bites of her apple pancakes, sipping at the green tea as the warmth and calm that only pancakes and green tea could bring filled her. Kaz was quiet and patient, watching anxiously.

“Don’t you have a gang to run?” She asked softly. She didn’t want to push him away. He was keeping her nightmares at bay, forcing her to focus on what she needed now, but even she had the state of mind to be practical. It would do neither of their reputations any good if they disappeared together for more hours than a robbery would take. It would do neither of their business positions any good to be for all intents and purposes, lollygagging.

“No. I wouldn’t be able to work well anyway, with you scared and alone. And you certainly will not be going back to work until you are well.”

“Kaz, I know you had Nina fix me up. I am well.” “Not mentally. Physically, sure. But you know better than I, physical is less than half our job. Mentally, you’re less stable than I am, no arguments.”

Inej sighed and sipped more of her tea. Kaz was infinitely stubborn and she didn’t want to force him away. So, she gave up and watched the moon rise past the window.

“How is your tea?”

Inej felt a little smile curve her lips. Kaz was trying small talk out. Wonders never cease.

“Very warm and soothing, thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Oh, Saints,” Kaz gasped, shaking his head. “I never even thought of it. Ghezen. I’ve got an idea. Do you mind if I leave for a minute? I’ll be back, I promise.”

Inej gave a shaky sigh and nodded bravely. She didn’t want to be alone, not for a second. But Kaz seemed to be very sincere and hustled out of the room and down the hall. She curled into a ball and covered her eyes. She sat in darkness for several minutes, before Kaz’s footsteps once more echoed down the hallway. She recognized his shuffling gait with joy. The silence was like after the laughter and before the grunting of the people when she was… there.

She almost smiled when Kaz walked through the door, then almost screamed, scrambling to get to her knife. With Sankta Petyr in her hand, she took on a defensive position. Kaz was grinning in the doorway, locking it behind him without looking. He was untying his tie and his belt was already unbuckled and clinking daintily as he approached her, his intent clear.

“Inej!” He singsongingly called. “Here, ghostie ghostie ghostie… Come to Daddy Kaz. It’s time for some fun…” His smile was haunting. And there were cuffs in his hands. And a ball-gag.           

“Kaz... Kaz, stop! Kaz, stop! PLEASE, KAZ, STOP!” She screamed, feeling him backing her into a corner. She waited until her escape was almost impossible, then swung him around and punched him across the face. She pressed Sankta Petyr to his throat. Her other hand was loosely around his neck, her nails digging into the soft flesh.           

She knew the contact would leave him badly shaken and she was so scared that she reveled in it. Her brain, in her terror, lapsed over the rather obvious flaw in her thinking and she dug in with both the knife and her nails as she made her point. “I said, stop.”           

“Stop what?” Kaz’s voice was soft and the haunting smile that was still glued to the face in front of her flickered. “Inej, whatever you’re seeing isn’t real. What should I stop?” His voice was choked, but calm.           

The image flickered again, then vanished and in front of Inej was a very different Kaz.           

This Kaz still had his tie on, his belt still buckled. There was no haunting gaze, no uncaring, disturbing desire devouring her in his eyes. There was fear and sympathy and surprisingly empathy.           

“Inej, you asked me to stop. Screamed for me to stop. So loud, Jesper was worried I was killing you. I need to know what I need to stop. Inej, talk to me.” His voice was forceful, but not unkind.           

Kaz was bleeding from the knife wound on his neck and her nails were about to draw blood. She backed off in horror, her mind reeling. What had she done? What had she seen?           

“Sorry- Kaz… I’m so sorry. Wh-What have I done… Kaz? I’m sorry… Let… Let me help… Kaz, I’m so sorry…”           

“Inej, calm down. Take deep breaths. I’m fine.” He did sound much better now that her hands weren’t on his throat. “I’m okay. You’re okay. It’s okay, alright? Calm. Down.”           

She did her best, but didn’t miss the glance at his gloves. She wouldn’t blame him. She didn’t trust herself either. But, what astounded her was the glance was all he made. He focused back on her.           

“Okay. First, can you give me Sankta Petyr?”           

Tactical. Remove the weapons from equation, then handle the rest. She, shaking like a leaf, handed the knife to Kaz handle first.           

“Good, Inej. Good. You’re okay. It’s okay. Calm down. Let’s just sit… down…” Kaz sat down slowly first, leading Inej by example.           

“K-Kaz… You’re still b-bleeding… It-It’s ruining your shirt…”           

“Inej, I’ll put it on your tab. Now, tell me, what should I stop?”           

“N-Nothing… Nothing, Kaz. N-Nothing,” Inej lied. “I-I was dreaming.”           

“I figured, Inej. But, from experience, try to tell the truth. Instead of lying about everything. And refusing to let anyone close. And insulting and hurting anyone who tries. And making money off of hurting the people who care in attempts to ignore the pain.”           

“Kaz, I-I can’t.” Inej shook her head, her breathing getting more and more unsteady. Kaz, slowly and carefully, took her hands in his. He held them softly enough that she could tear them out of his hands if she so desired, but she didn’t. She stared at their bare hands, trembling.           

Kaz was trembling too.           

“Inej, you can. What did you see?”           

“I-I…” Inej took a deep breath. Her grip tightened around his hands. “I-I saw… I saw you… But it wasn’t… It wasn’t you! You-You wanted me… but not like this… Not like us. You wanted… You wanted me to be your… your… toy.” Her lips curled in disgust, but not as much as Kaz’s. Kaz’s stomach twisted. “You… You wanted me to… call you… Daddy.”           

Kaz vomited in his mouth and swallowed it. “Pl-Please… never call me that… Ever,” Kaz said, violently disgusted.

“I won’t,” she quickly agreed. “You-You wanted to… to tie me up and… and...”            “It’s okay, Inej. It’s okay… You don’t need to finish. I understand. I’m so sorry, Inej."

She nodded, shivering as she held Kaz’s hands. The tremble in his voice was unnoticeable to anyone but Inej, who knew the toll his comfort to her was taking on him. But he didn’t seem to want to pull away, no matter how much it scared him.            They sat in silence for a couple minutes. It was the closest either had ever felt to the other. But Kaz had to let go.           

The water had risen over his head long ago, but he was trying to be strong for Inej. But his strength only lasted so long. He took a deep breath as the contact ceased, but didn’t move, as much as he wanted to.           

“Kaz…”           

“Yes?”           

“Pray with me?”           

“Sure… How?”           

“Listen.”           

Inej gripped his hands again, her eyes drifting closed. Kaz tensely tried to calm himself, but was failing. Then he heard her.           

Her prayers were in Ravkan, soft and constant. He listened, picking out what few words he knew from the incessant lines and repeating them at a barely audible whisper. They did this for many minutes, Kaz miraculously holding on to then and there.           

When she stopped, Kaz was gasping.           

“What… was I supposed… to be listening to? I don’t speak… Ravkan, only Kerch,” Kaz gasped, calming eventually.           

“You listened and calmed yourself enough to pray. I heard your words, even if they were just parroted. Kaz, it was good.”           

“No one will hear about this,” Kaz insisted, knowing how the rumors of him praying could crack his reputation.           

“Of course not.”           

“Inej, are you feeling better?” The change of subject brought a shiver down Inej’s spine.  

“Somewhat.”           

“Are you well enough to be alone?”           

“N-No, I don’t think so.”           

Kaz had guessed being alone caused it. It was satisfying to be right about Inej for once. “Okay… I guess I never did give you what I left to grab in the first place. It was meant to be for your birthday, but I figured now was more appropriate.” He pulled out an outfit made of soft elastic, thick enough to be warm but thin enough to breathe. It had a hood and so many pockets Inej couldn’t count them all, even as she ran her nimble fingers over the fabric. Some of the pockets were almost invisible to the naked eye, and in every pocket was a knife or gun sheath. The knees and elbows had tiny blades, much like her last outfit, and they were razor sharp to the touch.           

And with the outfit came a new pair of slippers.           

“I had it tailored after your slippers were ruined on Fjerda. I… I know it’s an odd gift, but I figure you want out of those clothes, now more than ever.”    

“You-You’re not wrong.”    

Kaz handed her a simple set of black leggings and tank top. “These can go underneath. They’re super light and should breathe well.”    

“Thank you, Kaz. Really,” She murmured. Her eyebrows came together as she thought through the problem of getting this new outfit on if being alone terrified her and Kaz happened to be the only person she trusted with her weakened wreck of a form.    

“Inej, I’m going to turn around so you can change. Tell me when I can look again.” He turned his back resolutely, but she didn’t miss the blush on his cheeks. The thought had crossed his mind too.    

Her hands shook terribly as she pulled her shirt off of her body. She was terrified, petrified, that Kaz would turn around. She wasn’t ready. She wasn’t ready for anything close to that. She hurriedly pulled the tank top over herself, turning to check Kaz.    

Kaz hadn’t moved at all. Didn’t even look tensed enough to try.    

Inej struggled, but quickly changed her leggings. The cloth felt clean against her skin, her soul felt far more peaceful. “I’m decent, Kaz. You can turn around.”    

“Are you sure you’re here and now, with the real me? I don’t want to scare you like that again.”

"I'm not... Not sure. But I think so."

"I'm going to turn around, okay? It's just me. I'm not going to hurt you. I promise, okay?"

Inej took a deep breath. "Okay, Kaz."

Kaz turned and Inej almost cried in relief as she saw Kaz as he was. A little rumpled, but otherwise pristine. He managed an actual smile as he saw the flood of absolute relief. 

"Good, Inej... Good," he said once more, his eyes the warmest she had ever seen.

Kaz was many things, but he was not warm. He was cold and rigid, the kind people told stories in the dark about rather than the kind to give an homeless orphan a blanket. He was the bastard of the Barrel, the worst of the terrible, the most terrifying thing to walk the planet. He was incapable of kindness, of love, of forgiveness. But here, now, in this light and with the soft aroma of apple pancakes...

She thought she saw love in him. The way the corners of his mouth turned up at her, the way he wasn't wearing his gloves  _for_ her. The way she could see his pride and happiness at her returning strength. 

She loved him too.

 


	3. Take My Hand, We're in Foreign Land

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaz and Inej conduct business. 
> 
>  
> 
> Not really much as far as fluff/angst go, because it's mostly badassness. It's really short and late I'm sorry D:

In the next several hours, many problems became apparent.

1) Kaz, bless his soul for trying, could not run a gang from inside his bedroom.  
2) People were starting to get suspicious of both their absences.  
3) Inej still needed Kaz close. Within reach and in line of sight was best.  
4) Inej was not emotionally prepared to go outside the room for any reason.  
5) Inej needed to bathe and use the restroom. (See #3 for why that’s a problem)  
6) Kaz needed to bathe and use the restroom. (See #3 once more for why that’s an issue)  
7) Kaz needed to run his gang. (You get the picture. #3)

So, soon the cons of staying here with Inej were far out-weighing the pros and they both knew it. Kaz, for once his life, was being selfless for Inej’s sake, but he was growing uncomfortable. 

There were so many things he needed to do or someone else would do them, but goodness knows that Kaz didn’t really want to do anything knowing Inej would be suffering for it.   
Inej, however, seeing the big picture, tried to convince Kaz to leave. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.” Massive lie. “You have a gang to run. You need to rob people, scare people. I can stay here and take a bath.” She was so terrified of the prospect she almost started shaking. 

“Inej, that’s bullshit. Well… the part about you is.” Kaz rubbed his eyes. It was almost giving him a headache, this whole drama. “Here’s what I think. I have to go speak with a rotten wharf manager about a missing shipment worth too many kruge to casually go missing. I could use a set of eyes watching my back. This old spud won’t do anything I can’t handle, but it’ll get you out in the eyes of the public for a while, it’s something I need to do, and it’ll get you back to work. I know, you said you aren’t ready, but you’re never ready. Not for anything, not ever.”

Inej realized this was the best possible deal he could offer her, but that doesn’t mean her stomach didn’t twist painfully at the thought of being that far away from what she knew was safe. She nodded.

Kaz sighed. He could read her like a book. She didn’t like the plan. “Be strong, Inej. You’ll get through it. Then we can have apple pancakes and take more baby steps. I’m going to leave and you’ll follow a few seconds after. Stay hidden once you leave the Crow Club, but keep me in sight if you can. I’ll lead you to the wharf, then you can watch me deal with him and provide backup if necessary.You’ll need this,” he says, holding out Sankta Petyr to her handle first.

Inej’s jaw dropped. He trusted her with her knife again.

“And, if this goes in our favor, maybe we can find the rest of your knives.”

Her heart was singing.

“Now, remember. Stay where people will see you until we get out of the Crow Club.” And out the door he went.

Inej, everything she had trembling, followed the steady cadence of a footsteps in front of her. She heard the whispers as she passed, her eyes fixed on his back. Heard occasionally, the relieved sighs as they realized she was okay. The whole lie of owing Kaz money was a dangerous lie, as people thoroughly believed her life was at risk.

 

For Kaz, it was brief, inconspicuous glances back over his shoulder to make sure she hadn’t crumpled under the pressure. He knew this was a giant leap, from only him and his room to the vast majority of the Barrel and the vast majority of its day population. He could still catch glimpses of her dark hair and would walk a little faster.

Once she transitioned from the ground to the rooftops, he lost sight of her. He could sense her, of course, he could always sense the presence of the Wraith, but it concerned him that he lost visual. If she stopped moving, he could be several blocks away before he noticed, especially since he was getting close to the wharf, and he needed to be paying attention to the task before him. 

If he got surrounded, he didn’t expect the Wraith to be able to get her shit together fast enough to help him. Not that he was an incompetent fighter, but the open ground and few witnesses didn’t promise a fair fight.

As he opened the wooden gate to the wharf, he spared one last glance over his shoulder. He couldn’t see her. He prayed she was still behind him and strode confidently onto the plank pathways. He could see the man ahead of him. He had no more time for his Wraith.

The man, or ‘Rotten Spud’, as he had come to think of him as, was named Marchus Reichel. He had worked this section of the wharf for more years than Kaz had been alive, but hadn’t managed to move up in the world. He had a reputation of being slimy, but there were few others that would deal with or the Crow Club. Or that Kaz prefered to deal with, but that was less of priority.

The man had been subtly embezzling funds for several months, but it was hardly worth the effort to punish him and there wasn’t anyone better. However, the shipment that had gone missing was worth almost two hundred thousand kruge, and there was enough of a guard detail that lost wasn’t an option any self-respecting businessman would recognize. And self-respecting didn’t begin to cover Kaz as a businessman.

Kaz scanned the character in front of him, his nose subtly wrinkling at the many faults. Firstly, the man reeked of fish. Never a pleasant smell to be greeted with when one was wanting to talk possible treason. Secondly, the man also reeked of body odor. Also an unpleasant greeting. Thirdly, Kaz could see two handguns hidden on his person already, and at least… Kaz tried not to make it obvious as he counted four different knife sheaths. 

This man was guilty and knew it. And was certainly not going to apologize.

Kaz stalked careful, his cane making precise, calculating tunk!’s everytime it hit the planks. The boats rocked against the docks gently - it really was a beautiful day. The ocean lapped gently, making the kind of sound that Kaz could see himself dozing off to. 

Unfortunately for the wharf manager, Kaz Brekker would not be dozing off any time soon.

“Good day, Dirtyhands. What business?”

“Good day. I was simply wondering when you were going to pay me back for the shipment you stole.” Kaz Brekker’s posture was relaxed, his voice even. Something about the way he said it was enough to send an icy shiver down Mr. Reichel’s spine, however. He shifted nervously. 

He had had dealings with Dirtyhands before; everyone who worked for the Crow Club had. But never on his own. Never when he was at fault. Never when there wasn’t another witness. Usually the wharf was bustling, but for whatever reason, today it was empty. He took a furtive glance at the rooftops. His gunmen should be in place by now and he saw no sign of the Wraith, the demon girl who could appear out of nowhere.

Surely, in the daylight, he would be safe from her. Dirtyhands, he believed, would be easy to fight. The ghost? Not a chance.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re getting at, sir.” 

Dirtyhands looked unendingly bored, picking aimlessly at invisible faults in his gloves. “I’m 'getting at' two hundred thousand kruge. I’m 'getting at' the shipment that was under your care that mysteriously went missing. I’m 'getting at' that I will chop you up and cook you as the Crow Club’s soup of the day if this mysterious money loss isn’t righted.” Dirtyhands’ voice had gone from icilily pleasant to a low, enraged, volatile growl, that with every sentence got a little more dangerous. “I’m 'getting at' that your gunmen are currently occupied and you are not prepared to fight me, no matter the guns or knives you’re carrying.” Mr. Reichel wasn’t to know that Kaz had no idea whether or not his gunmen were indisposed. Seeing as he wasn’t dead, he figured that Inej doing her job was a good guess.

Poor Mr. Reichel. He seriously underestimated Kaz Brekker.

Poor Kaz Brekker. He got blood on his cane.

Kaz was on Mr. Reichel before the slightly overweight man could blink, and had driven his cane through his shoe and foot before the man could make a noise. This tore a scream from the middle aged beer belly and Kaz, not removing his cane, shoved the off-balanced wharf manager over, tearing his cane out of the man’s foot.

The man went to roll over, get his gun and get up, when Kaz’s foot landed in the middle of his chest along with a reasonable amount of weight. “If I don’t get a valid answer as to where my money is, I’ll drive my cane through your rotten, potato family. If that doesn’t me my money, I’ll carve out your lungs with my cane. Do you see what I’m getting at?” Kaz leaned a little more onto the man’s chest, knowing if he leaned any more, he could be thrown off balance. But, punctuating his point was important too.

Then a bullet hit the pavement near where the two were. It was all Mr. Reichel needed. Kaz’s gaze, although only for a millisecond, flitted to the rooftops and a ragged gasp was torn from Kaz as a small knife went through the calf muscle of his bad leg.

Kaz, always the quick thinker, slammed the cane’s point down on the arm Mr. Reichel had used to stab him. Kaz heard the satisfying, if not slightly uncomfortable, sound of at least one bone snapping and Kaz was fairly certain that this particular wharf manager would ever use that arm properly again. 

The man hollered annoyingly, but he was sufficiently distracted, so Kaz turned to rooftops. He actually spotted Inej and gave her the best what the hell expression he could manage, gesturing down to the knife stuck in his calf. She seemed to wince apologetically, but Kaz just rolled his eyes.

Kaz swiftly whacked the broken arm with his cane, causing Mr. Reichel to squeal. “I’ll ask just once more before I go find the missus. Where is my money, you useless spud?”

 

Inej, to her credit, felt terrible. She hadn’t seen the last gunmen until it was almost too late, and her dive tackling was only enough to throw his aim off. She hadn’t meant to let a bullet get that close to Kaz, but once more to her credit, Kaz had said that this man wouldn’t do anything he couldn’t handle on his own.

She had let Kaz down and now he had been stabbed because of her. She would make it up to him. She recognized the wharf manager as Marchus Reichel. He lived nearby. She raced along the rooftops. She had a rather devious idea. One she suspected Kaz would be proud of. 

She would make it up to him.

She burst into the Reichel household, appearing to be in a blind panic. Mrs. Reichel, an all-in-all not completely unpleasant woman, ran a bakery, which took up most of the ground floor of their house. She was manning the cash register when she was startled by Inej.

“Mrs… Mrs. Reichel!” She huffed, like she was out of breath, wiping invisible sweat off of her forehead. “Y-Your husband! There’s been… There’s been… You must come with me! He needs help!”

The woman bustled out after Inej. Once they got to the gate, Inej let the woman go in front of her. Sankta Petyr was in her hand, behind her back.

Mrs. Reichel hurried into the wharf, where Kaz was winding up to hit Mr. Reichel again. Inej’s knife materialized in front of the woman’s throat and it took her a moment to realized she had been played when Inej yelled.

“Kaz, need a bargaining chip?”

Kaz turned around, a little surprized. His Wraith never came out in the open, not in the line of sight for any reason. But here she was, holding whom he could only assume to be Mrs. Reichel in front of her. A creepy smile crept across his face as he looked down on the very much in pain Mr. Reichel.

He tapped Mr. Reichel on the temple with his bloody cane to get the attention of the man who was on the brink of fainting. Whether from blood loss, fear, or a combination thereof was irrelevant as Kaz spoke, his normally raspy voice slick with confidence.

“Mr. Reichel, do you know this woman?”

The man only glimpsed her before he began to cry.

“Do you think she would look quite as homey without a head?” Kaz suddenly snarled, the tip of the cane knocking against the wharf manager’s adam’s apple.

“I gave it to the Wolves!” The wholly unimpressive man wailed. The Wolves were a rival club. Kaz’s gaze narrowed. “They offer me a little money every time I inconvenience you and the bigger the inconvenience the more I get! I just wanted to get my kid a proper cake for his birthday!”

“You have until the end of this week to pay it back, Mr. Reichel. Or I will hunt you down and you will not live to see next week. Then, I want you out of the Barrel in less than a fortnight. I hope you seeing what I’m getting at.”

And Kaz hobbled over to Inej, bopped Mrs. Reichel over the head with the bloodied cane, and Inej wrapped her arm around him, helping to support him as the knife in his leg was still in his leg and it was somewhat her fault.


End file.
